“So, our family and theirs have been friends for years.”
“I guess.”
It worries me that Evie is related to this family. She and I getting involved would be a complication I don’t want to involve the club in. It’s a favor that was never returned. Yeah, money was passed, but both men helped us out in extraordinary ways.
Ruby directs me, and we make our way to the apartment complex. Evie’s Audi is parked against the curb, and I find a spot in the guest parking area. We all exit the SUV, and Ruby rushes ahead of us. She knocks as we climb the stairs to the third floor, beating us to the door. And as soon as Evie opens up, I recognize something is wrong. Her beautiful amber eyes are swollen from crying.
“Ruby, what are you doing here?” she asks and leans out the door. When she sees us, panic kicks in. She starts trembling and turns to monitor the parking lot. “You can’t be here.” She looks at me, not my sister.
Ruby pushes her back into the apartment, and we follow along. Hammer closes the door behind us.
Evie’s lip is swollen and split.
Not thinking twice, I step toward her, and when she retreats, I continue advancing until I fill her space, pressing against the refrigerator behind her.
“What happened, sweet cheeks?” I ask, gently laying a hand against the side of her face. She feels so soft. She’s wearing no makeup now, and her olive skin is clean and glowing. Her hair trails down her back in loose, wavy curls. It’s natural, whereas most women would pay hundreds of dollars for this style.
“It’s nothing,” she lies as her eyes focus on my collarbone instead of looking me in the eye.
“Eyes,” I order, and when they snap to mine, I observe the color lighten from a golden copper to an almost honey color. It’s in that moment that a sense of peace settles in my chest. My heart thumps furiously, and I know I’d do anything for this sweet creature. “Who hurt you, baby? I want to help you.”
Her eyes transition again. This time they shutter, and the color goes flat. Her every expression is displayed in those exquisite irises. “I can’t. You must leave. If he finds out you’re here, it won’t be good.”
“You broke up with Justin.” Ruby moves in close to us. Evie steps away, and the collar of her sweater shifts. Her neck is marred with bruises.
Anger like I’ve never felt before floods my system. My body tightens as I realize what was exposed, and I slowly reach for her collar. Stretching it away, the marks become visible, and air whooshes from my lungs, burning with the need for oxygen. I will kill the fucker who damaged her like this.
“Sweet cheeks, did he do this to you?”
She looks at me, and in her eyes, I see what she won’t say. But it’s Hammer that speaks instead of her. “We need to go.”
I whip my head around to stare him down. I’m not leaving her like this. “No,” I growl the single word through clenched teeth.
“Please,” she begs, and when I turn back to her, tears pool in her eyes.
I step away, hating myself for making this sweet girl cry. “I’ll return. Just call me if you need help. Ruby will give you my number. Put it in your phone so only you know it’s me.”
“I don’t know you,” she whimpers, her voice heartbreakingly soft. “Why would you help me?”
“My name is Lucian. I’ll always be there for you.” I caress her cheek, and being unable to help myself, I lean down and kiss her forehead. She sighs, and her hands grip my waist, holding on for dear life. “I’m leaving for now because you asked me to.”
Ruby doesn’t give up so easily. “I’m not leaving. I don’t care what Justin says or threatens; he can’t hurt me.”
Evie responds, “Ruby, I can’t. You must leave, but I won’t cut you off. I promise,” then she releases me, and her loss is instantly felt.
I take Ruby’s hand, and we step toward the door. Hammer moves toward Evie, whispers something to her, and the tears roll harder down her face as she nods. She says nothing more, but as we step out the door, I worry we’ve just left her to deal with the devil.
Chapter Three
Evelise
It’s been four days, and the bruises still haven’t dissipated. They are black against my tawny complexion. His finger marks and even the spots where his nails dug into my skin still stand out. The next day, I woke up to scattered areas of tiny broken capillaries that also marred my eyelids. I’ve had to wear makeup every day to cover it up.
Gigi and Mom have been calling daily to check on me. I’ve tried to avoid them because it’s still unclear what I can and can’t do. Justin contacts me relentlessly, saying it’s to check on me, but I know he’s checking up on me. There’s been no mention of whether he saw Ruby and Lucian at the apartment.
Swallowing hard to calm my emotions, I recall what Hammer said to me. He gave me a card with his number on it and told me to use it if I was ready to get out. He assured me he understood what I was going through and that he could protect whoever Justin was using as collateral. He knew. I never said a word, but he knew that Justin threatened my family instead of me.
Sitting in the locker room, I consider what I’ll do after the match when my parents corner me. My instinct is to tell them to take Gigi and visit the family estate in Greece, but I can’t. Justin will know. He’s already confessed to having someone keep an eye on each of us. He basically threatened me by telling me he’d kill me after the wedding is done because it’s only my family’s money that he’s after. He wants Gigi’s money. My parents have some, but not like my grandmother. He knew I was her sole beneficiary.
